A Vampire's Kiss
by AlphaCentauri009
Summary: Cloud, a fantasy writer and goth, has always believed that vampires and people with psychic powers were just a figment of people's overactive imagination. What happens when a vampire steals his heart? CloudXLeon SoraXRiku ON HIATUS!
1. I Don't Believe In Vampires

well...hey y'all!. how are ya?. for all of y'all who don't know me at all...i'm AlphaCentauri009 or Ari, as i prefer to be called. this is mostly a CloudLeon fic but i might have a little RikuSora mixed in (dunno if i should add it, tho). i'm not really sure if my characters aren't as oc as i made them look in LPM (my last fan fic this is actually my third fan fic since I made a oneshot). but i'm trying my best. well, let me not deprive you of my story any longer...HERE'S Vampire's Kiss!. YEE-HAW! (sound of gunshots). oops! (heh heh).

PS. thought i ought to warn you guys that i suck at description. Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I wish I did…but I don't.

Leon: You're insane. You know that right?

Ari: (pinching one of Leon's cheeks) Aww…aren't you cute?. When did you notice?.

Leon: Why do I bother?

Cloud laughs as Ari makes funny faces on Leon.

Leon: cut it out!

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Chapter 1

"I Don't Believe In Vampires"

Cloud was making his way back to the house, cursing the rain. A light drizzle started shortly after he left the club. To cover himself, he had on a black trench coat. He didn't care about covering his head. Beads of rain water fell form his pierced ears to his trench coat.

Anyone could tell he was gothic. The upside-down cross earrings, black eyeliner, and dog collar at his throat gave it away even though he was sometimes mistaken for a Satanist.

A gig bag with a guitar inside was on his back, supported by a strap that was slung across his chest. _Stupid rain_, he thought. As he walked, he didn't notice the couple walking in front of him. When they got closer, Cloud didn't step aside since he was lost in thought.

He walked between then and kept walking, despite the fact that the couple stopped. "Hey," said the girl. Cloud stopped walking and turned around, an annoyed glare radiating from his eyes. "What," he said. The glare he gave the girl made her speechless and at a loss of words.

"Dude, what's your problem," said the guy. "I'm looking at it," Cloud said, coldly. He walked away. _Damn bastards_, he thought in his annoyed state. _My car just_ had _to fuck up its brakes_. He turned at a corner and entered a 7-Eleven. When he entered, he said hello to a clerk he recognized and headed towards the coffee machines.

He was making himself a coffee when he noticed a little girl staring at him. He sneered at her but she didn't get scared like he thought she would. She looked up at him with an innocent curiosity. "Are you a vampire, mister," she said. "I don't believe in vampires, kid," he said.

Looking at the girl reminded him of his little sister, Namine. "Tsubasa," said a female voice. "There you are!." Cloud saw a woman walking up to the little girl and the woman grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry," said the woman, bowing. He nodded as the woman and the child began to walk away.

The girl turned around and waved. "Bye, mister," she said. Cloud half-smiled as she turned. _Me? A vampire?_, he thought as he began to chuckle. That's rich. He grabbed an issue of Guitar World and went over to the cash register. As he paid, he requested a box a cigarettes and a lighter.

"Hey, vampire," said a familiar voice. "How's it going, Riku," Cloud said. He turned to see a silver haired boy all clad in black. He wore baggy jeans and a sleeveless shirt. His long hair was tied back, revealing his sea green eyes and the symphony of gold and diamonds in his ears.

"When did you come back from America?." "When did you start getting asked that you were a vampire," Riku countered. "Jesus, do you ever shut up," he said, asking the clerk for another box of cigarettes.

"Anyways, I came back just about a week ago," Riku said, accepting the cigarettes Cloud offered him. "But who would imagine that I would get to see my old friend Cloud Strife, world's greatest guitarist." "Skip the sarcasm and tell me where you live so I can see the damage you made the past few days that you've been back," Cloud said as they exited the store and walked down the street.

"Just three blocks away from here," Riku said. "You still live in the house your parents left you right?." "Like I have a choice, given my current state," Cloud sighed. "They took the condo and I'm stuck in a stupid house that's seen better days."

"Until yesterday, I didn't realize the apartment building I live in is a block away from your house," Riku said, pointing at him. "Nice," Cloud said. "Too bad I can't sell the shithole I live in until I fix it." Riku laughed a bit before lighting a cigarette.

"I think your wisecracks and complaints were just about the only things I missed about Tokyo," Riku said. "Anyways, America was all right. The places I went to were nice for a change." "Anything else new," Cloud said, continuing to drink his coffee.

"Not really," Riku said. "Plus, your sister is as studious as ever. She occasionally goes to the club with her roommate, though. She and Kairi are in separate college but are still in touch."

"Lemme guess, she's still serious about taking on my late father's legacy," he said, sarcastically. "Jesus, he's so damn manipulative. Even the fact that he's a rich business man annoys me. Then, disowning me because I chose writing over his stupid business...sickening and pointless. I miss my mother, though. I occasionally go over to her shop for a reading. He was always so damn strict."

"You're telling me," Riku said. "Don't forget that I lived with you for a year when my old man kicked me out." "Like I would," Cloud said. "That was the best year of my life so far." Then, they heard a crashing sound come from the alley way.

"Wanna check it out," Riku said. "'Let's," Cloud said. "Might be another damsel in distress. I rescued one just yesterday." They ran into the alleyway to investigate. As soon as they stopped, Cloud was surprised at the scene he saw.

Two men were fighting, one of them bleeding excessively. He was struggling to keep himself up as the other man kicked him in the face. Then, the moonlight of a full moon slowly streamed into the alleyway, allowing Cloud to see their faces.

The man who was bleeding had long, brown hair that almost covered his dark eyes. He wore all black except for a white shirt stained with blood, with a black jacket. Clod noticed a scar that was on his face. He felt himself slowly remove his gig bag. _Wow…_, he thought.

The other man had long, silver hair with a hood that covered his eyes. From the way he limped, it seemed that he hurt one of his ankles in the heat of the battle. "We have to help him," Riku whispered. "The one who's bleeding." "You know him," Cloud whispered.

"Yeah, he's a…friend," Riku said. The way Riku said 'friend' gave Cloud an uneasy feeling. "All right," Cloud said. "I'll handle the other guy. Just get your friend out of here."

They both dashed over just as the silver-haired guy was about to strike his finishing blow. Cloud blocked it and punched, causing the other guy to lose his breath.

"This isn't your battle," the other man said, breathlessly. "But if you want to get involved…prepare yourself." Preparing to fight, Cloud took off his coat since the rain had stopped.

He had on a long sleeved shirt that had a sleeve cut off. Replacing the right sleeve was a fingerless glove and bracer. It looked like he had a coat on since on the left side of his jeans, a long piece of rough-looking material covered it.. With a wave of his arm, a long sword with a gigantic blade appeared at his hand.

"Summon a weapon, did you," he said. "I can play that game." He made his own hand motion and an average-sized sword of equal blade thickness appeared. (A/N: I can't think of any other weapon at the moment, ok?.)

This marked the start on another battle. Riku approached the bleeding man and aided him to his feet. "Leon, what happened," Riku said, handing him a small bottle. Leon unscrewed the bottle and drank all of its contents.

With a flash of green light, the wound of his left side was beginning to heal itself and he was able to stand after a moment. The wound was still not quite healed and he was bleeding a small amount of blood.

"I was ambushed by Xehanort," Leon said, simply. "I was looking for you to tell you the information I had about you-know-what." Cloud blocked a thrust that his opponent made and leapt into the air. The sword spun around for a while before he made his thrust. The attempt Xehanort made to block the thrust made him lose his balance.

"Who's the guy right there," Leon said. "A human friend of yours?." "Yeah, Cloud's cool," Riku told him. "Cloud! Let Leon handle it now!." Leon listened to a sound that nobody but him could hear…the sound of a heart beat. He smelled what he thought was a cheap perfume.

"We have a witness…handle her later," Leon whispered. Cloud jumped behind Xehanort and struck him with the flat side of the sword on the back of his neck. The strike caused him to fall to the ground, unconscious. "Too late," Leon said. "He's pretty good…especially with pressure points."

Cloud walked over with an expressionless look on his face but a fiery look in his eye. "Want me to finish him off," he asked Riku. "You wanna," Riku asked.

"Frankly, I'm not in the mood to kill anyone at the moment," Cloud said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "But he did make me ruin a seven-hundred-dollar coat I bought just yesterday. That asshole…"

Leon smiled in amusement. "I'll do it," he said. "I hate these damn hunters with their unfair 'advantages'."

Leon briskly walked over to the man. Effortlessly, he lifted him up by the collar of his sweater. The hood slowly slipped off his head, revealing a long, slender neck. Leon felt a tickling sensation in his mouth and bit his neck.

The man woke up and began to scream. Blood began to drip out of the man's neck. Cloud watched in shock as the man lost color in his face and grew pale. Leon continued to lick up all the blood he could, satisfied with the fact that he was able to finally feast on something.

Xehanort grew silent and was dead. "I've always wanted to taste Xehanort's blood," Leon said, wiping the drops of blood that escaped from his mouth. "Too bad it wasn't worth the wait." He examined his side and noticed that the wound was gone.

Cloud felt himself kneel to the floor, his sword slipping out of his hand. "This…can't be…real," he said, his voice shaking.

"Cloud, I'm sorry," Riku said, apologetically. "It's very real." "It couldn't be," Cloud said, coldly. "I don't believe it was real. I thought vampires never existed."

Leon looked as if he was just slapped when he said that. Then, Cloud slowly got up to his feet and made his sword disappear. He steeped over to Riku. "Tell me, if he is a vampire…," he said, staring him in the eye. "Are you one, too?."

"I'm not a vampire," Riku said, slowly. "I only thing I have is extremely high levels of ESP." "ESP," he said. "Extrasensory perception," he explained. "Usually someone has some sort of unexplained power if they have high levels of ESP. I'm one of the few cursed with it…I can do this."

Cloud noticed Riku's pupils dilate before he saw a teenage girl come out of her hiding place. The girl looked as if she was being controlled. Riku approached her and continue to stare at her eyes. After a few seconds, the girl blinked.

"W-What? Where am I," she said, confused. "You're in a dangerous part of town," Riku said. "I think you should hurry back to your home." "O-oh my gosh! T-T-Thank you for reminding me," she said, bowing and running out of the alley.

Cloud didn't notice when his back was against the wall. "I-I…this is…," he said. Then, he put his gig bag, which was at his feet, back on and quickly retrieved his jacket. He ran out of the alleyway despite Riku's shouts.

"Lemme guess…you didn't want him to find out about any of this," Leon said to Riku. "No, he wouldn't have believed me anyway," Riku said. "I'm not exactly sure but…I think he probably has some levels of ESP."

"It's best to consult Aerith for that type of thing," he said. "Want me to get in touch with her?." "Not right now," he said. "Cloud guy is like a brother to me…I would hate myself if I let the agency get their greedy hands on him right now."

"I'll go to his house," he said. "Don't you dare try to drink his blood," he warned. "At least I didn't clarify the extent of my powers." "I won't, all right," he said. "Just go to your house. I'll meet you there in about…thirty minutes."

Leon leapt up into the air, allowing himself to float several feet in front of Riku. "All right," Riku said. "But you better keep this warning in mind. You gave me your word. See ya." Riku walked out of the alley way.

Leon watched as Riku lit another cigarette and turned the corner. _And now to track him down…_, Leon said.

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did you guys like it?. please, review!. If any of you don't understand the concept of ESP, let me explain!. ESP, or extrasensory perception, is a heightened or extended level of your five senses. Your five senses are: smell, taste, touch, hearing, and seeing. Usually, ESP phenomenon are common thing you hear about such as precognition (or seeing the future through a certain way) and seeing what others don't usually see (ghosts and aura mostly). So to sum it up, what Riku has is a result of the extent of his five senses.

Ari: Hey Riku! Wanna tell them what your power is?.

Riku: Why?.

Ari: Please?.

Riku: (sighing) I have the power to control minds or erase memories. Happy?.

Ari: Good boy! Wanna go party?. I'll pay.

Cloud: Party?...are you on drugs?.

Ari: No, I just thought maybe we can have some fun!. Come on, I'll pay for anything.

Riku and Cloud: (smiling evilly) anything?

Ari: (laughs nervously) oops.


	2. New Roommates

hey guys!. i'm sorry for going on hiatus but my last two weeks of summer were _brutal_. i had to work ten hour shifts since there weren't a lot of lifeguards and a lot of them had quit after mid-season. especially two of my lifeguard friends. those dudes were the best and they _had_ to leave me hanging. i worked at another pool close to my house and made some new friends there so it was all good. school started this week which sucks!. i'm gonna only be able to write and upload on the weekends or during my lunch hour. Late buses don't start until the 18th. well, enjoy chapter 2!

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Cloud slammed and locked the door to the house. He sat down on the living room sofa. This type of moment calls for a cigarette, he thought. He fumbled in his coat pocket for the box and lighter.

He then sighed, releasing a puff of smoke. _That guy…a vampire?_, he thought. _I don't believe this_.

"Quite a place you got," said a voice. "I never took you for the rich type but it needs a few minor repairs. Your house, I mean." Cloud turned around and saw Leon leaning against the doorway, smiling.

"How did you come inside," Cloud asked, annoyed. "Come on, do you think doors can stop me? I locked it back again, though," Leon replied, taking step forward into the room. "I--." "Don't come any closer," Cloud said. "I'm warning you. I'll decapitate you." "I wouldn't dream of biting you," he said, trailing off. "Although I think that sounds nice considering the smell of your sweet blood."

"I heard that," he replied. "Now…OUT!." "I won't do it," he said. "Riku would stake me if I ever did." "Isn't _that_ a given," Cloud said, sarcastically. Leon half-smiled at his old-fashioned expression.

"By the way, the name's Leon," Leon said. "Cloud," he replied, walking to the kitchen. "Cloud, are you all right," Leon asked, following him. "Just peachy," he replied, dully.

Opening up one of the cabinets, he fumbled and searched for something inside. After a moment, he took out a bottle full of pills. He took out a bottle of water from the fridge and swallowed the pills.

"Medicine," Leon said. "I'm told I have behavioral issues," Cloud said. "You're lying; tell the truth this time," he said. "You can tell," Cloud asked, raising an eyebrow. "There a change of pitch in your voice, you answer seemed automatic, you had a slightly annoyed expression, and--," he said.

"Okay, I lied," Cloud said. "I just have a headache. Why are you inquiring about my health anyways? Waiting to see if I'll die in the near future?." "I'm not like that," Leon said, coldly. "Is knowledge such a bad thing?."

"Sorry," Cloud said, putting a hand to his head and sitting down. "The headache and current situation are just stressing. Look…I have nothing genetic, psychological, or physical, all right?. What about you if you're so insistent?."

"You have no idea," Leon said. "I hate being a vampire. Problem is, I can't change that for now." "Aren't you supposed to kill you master with a stake or something to change back," he asked skeptically.

Leon stared at him for a minute. His head was resting on a gloved hand, with sapphire-blue eyes staring at him. Then, he laughed for a bit.

"His next move or location is unpredictable," Leon said. "I'm still not strong enough since I haven't killed any werewolves lately. Plus, I haven't trained enough." "Ah, the mortal enemy _finally_ pops up," he said. "How do you know so much about vampires, anyway," Leon said. "I know you, uh, were a skeptic."

"I…seriously don't know," Cloud said. "I've never wanted to read or hear about vampires, so I didn't. It's…just as if it was all in my memory all along for some reason. Déjà vu, y'know?." He studied his face for a second before saying, "I believe you." "You serious," Cloud asked. He nodded.

Abruptly, Leon got to his feet which surprised Cloud. He walked to the window. "There's been a fire," he said. "I heard the explosion." _Explosion…?_, Cloud thought. Cloud stood up and went to open the sliding glass door.

Walking out, he saw a pillar of smoke coming from a building close to his house. "Oh shit! Riku," he said, suddenly worried. Then, he heard a loud knock on the door. "Shit," Cloud said, with a hand on his chest. "I have to get the door."

He mentally cursed the hammering beats of his heart. "I need to investigate; this fire didn't start itself," Leon said. "I know it." Cloud nodded in agreement despite his stressed state. Then, Leon approached him and took Cloud's chin in his hand.

"Everything's fine," he said. "You worry too much." Leon grabbed his waist and began to kiss him. Cloud's eyes widened in surprise as Leon kissed him. When Leon stepped back, he felt his heart bounce against his rib cage.

"W-What? W-W-Why did you just--," Cloud began. "It was either that or taste your blood," Leon said. "CLOUD! YOU ASSHOLE! OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR," yelled a muffled voice.

The voice made Cloud jump and turn around. When he turned back, Leon was gone. _Damn him!_, he thought. _Why'd he have to pull something like that?...but it felt kinda…nice. Argh! What the hell am I saying!. I sound like I'm high on morphine_.

He felt morphine was the drug that fit the way he felt when he was kissed by Leon. _Damn him! Damn him! A million times: damn him!_, he thought to himself. _I am not about to let myself get hung up over a vampire who kissed me. Plus, I have to worry about my career and my life. I have no room for anybody in my life…including him!_.

He stopped in front of his front doorway and opened it. He saw Riku, who was ready to bust the door open. "Riku? What the fuck happened to you," Cloud said, stepping aside. "I was about to ask you the same thing," Riku said. "You're blushing…which is something you never do unless there is a…oooh."

"Look just ignore me and tell me what the fuck happened because you smell like smoke and there are traces of soot on you," he said, self-conscious. "And don't get any ideas!."

"I'm not going to get into your business, okay," Riku said, laying down on one of the couches. "Someone just blew up my building. Even bigger problem, I don't have anywhere to go now." "You serious," Cloud asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You think I'm not? Anyway, all of my shit was in there excluding the things that mattered," Riku said, taking off a messenger bad he had on. "Leon was planning to stay over at my place since he has no connections in Tokyo, I'm guessing."

Cloud remained silent for a minute as he grabbed a seat in the lazy boy chair opposite of the sofa. "You _know_ I never do this but you're an exception," Cloud said. "You can stay here until you have somewhere to go or you don't want to live anywhere else. Anyways, I have more space than I can handle in this godforsaken mansion. Let's see…I think I have a room upstairs for you but Leon'll need a dark place so…"

"You hate my guts when I move in, remember," Riku said. "Plus, I'll just be a bother to you. I owe you so much that it's not even funny."

"Hold it," Cloud said, silencing Riku before he could protest. "I never told you it was for free. I want rent. Does five hundred dollars a month for each of you sound fair?."

"I guess so," Riku said. "Uh…thanks. A lot." "That sounds reasonable," Leon said, walking in.

Cloud looked away as Leon walked in and sat down in the fainting couch. "You find anything," Riku asked. "Another hunter," Leon said, toying with a paper airplane in his hand. "He was long gone when I got there but he had a messenger."

"Let me see that," Riku said. "I can figure out who it is."

Leon threw the airplane which made a loop before landing in a spiky lock of Cloud's hair. Riku tried not to laugh as he untangled the plane from his hair.

"Aim a bit lower next time," Cloud said, annoyed. "I'm going to get your rooms ready." Then, Riku began to chuckle as Cloud was leaving.

Cloud stopped at the entry way and said coldly, "Shut up…or you're sleeping outside." He left and the two heard the sound of him going up the stairs. Riku unfolded the paper airplane. He recognized the blue handwriting.

_I still haven't given up on_

_you, Leon. Take this as a_

_warning. I'll be waiting for_

_the day I can put a stake_

_through you._

"I knew it," Riku said, sighing. He crumpled the paper in his hand. "Kaito is so insistent on killing me isn't he," Leon said. 'He's good at making his messages clear but he's still an apprentice."

"He has guts," Riku said. "Heard he actually became a full-fledged vampire hunter after that Munich incident." Then, they heard a crashing sound.

Leon and Riku got up quickly and went upstairs and dashed up the stairs with Riku in pursuit. They saw Cloud stuck in a mountain of knick knacks, storage boxes, and laundry bags.

"Goddammit," he said, frustrated. "Stupid pieces of shit!." He held one of the several laundry bags in his hands. "You could've let us help you," Riku said, taking the bag from Cloud. "I wanted to do it by myself, dumbass," he said. "Get me out of here!."

Leon though Cloud looked cute in the pile of stored items, frustrated and stubborn. Within a few seconds, Leon had everything neatly back in the closet. "Stupid closet," Cloud muttered.

"Hey, you still have your mother's old Tarot deck," Riku said, with a box in his hand. "I'm not gonna just throw it away," he said, grabbing the box. Leon noticed that Cloud's expression changed slightly. "That bag has your bed covers and your room will be the one to your right."

"You been to her shop lately," he asked, opening the door. "No…I haven't," Cloud said. "Well good night and dream of a dame tonight," he said. "Shut up you perv," Cloud said. "Night."

Riku shut the door to his new room. "Where's my room," Leon asked. "First door to your left in the basement," Cloud said, peeling off his glove. "You need a dark room so I figured the basement room would suit you." "Can you show me," he asked.

"All right, I guess," he said, scratching his head. "I wasn't entirely sure about the condition it's in anyhow. I haven't been in it for a long time so I think it's a bit stuffy." Cloud gestured for him to follow as he descended the stairs.

_Remember what I told you_, Riku said in Leon's mind. _Jesus! All right already!_, Leon replied, annoyed. _I said I wouldn't_. "Hey," Cloud said. "Wrong way. The stairs are this way." "Oh right," he said, turning around.

They went down another flight of stairs close to the kitchen. After they both reached the room, Cloud switched on the lights as they went into the room. It was empty except for a sliding paper door on the other side of the room and a dresser.

"No windows," he stated. "This'll do." "I don't have a bed…but I think I have a futon here somewhere." He walked over to the sliding paper door and opened it. It was a closet that had a few hangers and a futon on the floor. "Aha," Cloud said, pulling it out. "Here you are."

"That's all I need," Leon said. "I just need to get a few things tomorrow." "I could go buy you some clothes," Cloud offered. "You could just make a list, I mean you can't just walk outside during the daylight and--."

"I'll do it," Leon said. "Don't say I didn't offer," Cloud said, pulling out a cigarette. "You're very insistent, aren't you," Leon said. "Eh, sometimes," he said, puffing out a cloud of smoke.

"You win," Leon said. "I'll make the list. I have just one question, though." "Shoot," he said, leaning against the wall. "You have servants, right?." "None," Cloud said. "I have a maid service come over to clean once a month."

"You should get some sleep," Leon said. "There's only three hours left till dawn." "I have band practice down here sometimes," Cloud said, ignoring his comment. "But you'll be fine. I soundproofed the room professionally."

"I'm going to see if it's true then," Leon said. "If I'm not mistaken, the rest of the room is designed to look like a studio, right?." "You noticed," he asked. "Pretty much," he said. "Night vision comes in handy a lot."

Cloud now had a guitar in his hand as Leon turned on the rest of the lights.

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another chapter done!. yes!. anyways, i'm so sorry for going on hiatus. i'm not gonna be able to upload as much now since school's already started this week. also, i got a bad case of Writers' Block for my other story! nooooo!. ugh, i need some ideas. as of now, i'll summarize the next chapter. anyways, please read and review!. until next time!.

**On the next chapter**: enter Sora, Cloud's editor!. he invites Cloud, Leon, and Riku to the bar. also, they find out about Cloud's stories and pen name!. will they accept? what'll happen at the bar?. stay tuned!. (Jesus Christ! i sound like a TV announcer. the screwed up part: I LIKE IT!)


	3. Lips Like Morphine

hello. well, it's been a day since the anniversary of 9/11. i remember that it all happened while i was in school in fifth grade. my old elementary school was a few miles away from the Pentagon so i saw the smoke coming from it. this is very unusual for me since i rarely do this nowadays but when i saw the footage of dead people in the news, i started to cry. now that i look back on it, i think that the stupid justice system here should've done something since i keep hearing bullshit about the FBI (or was it CIA?) knew that it was gonna happen before it actually happened. a supposed and subtle leak, i heard. stupid assholes! they sit on their fat asses while the Pentagon and the World Trade Center were up in smoke!. sorry about that! i'm getting all political and shit. anyways, here's chapter 3.

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When it was noon, Cloud heard a knock on his door. Groaning, he untangled himself from his bed sheets and sat up. The knocking was still going as he pulled on a shirt. "I'm coming, damn it," he shouted.

He opened the door to see an annoyed Leon standing in front of the door, with black pajamas, hooded sweater, and sunglasses. "You…have company," he said. "Some kid named Sora."

"Huh? Sora?...Oh shit! He's early," Cloud said, starting to panic. He scrambled over to his bed and began to search for something under the bed. Leon sat down on Cloud's bed and took the liberty of looking around.

The walls were bare except for a calendar, marker board, and a painting. He wasn't familiar with the painting. It was a painting of someone who looked like Cloud. The man was walking, with his weapon slung behind his back. His eyes showed an icy glare despite the searing flames in the background.

_This painting would suit him if it was him and not someone else_, he thought. Then, he heard a bump as Cloud tried to crawl out of the bed. "Ouch! Fucking bed," he yelled, frustrated. After standing up, he kicked the bed.

"You got what you were looking for," he said. "Right here," he said, holding a metallic briefcase. "Sorry."

"It's all right," he said, rubbing his eyes and taking off the glasses. "Riku's down there and keeping the kid company. Just tell him to keep his visits for the evening…when I'm gone."

"I can't help it if I'm diurnal," Cloud muttered. "Damn, I didn't even print it out or much less skim through it." Leon slowly rose from the bed and gently pushed Cloud to the wall. "Three words," he said. "I. Don't. Care."

Cloud stayed calm as he tried to find a way out. He was trapped between a corner and the night stand. "Wasn't that five," Cloud responded, slowly sliding back. Leon was now inches away from him, his breath tickling his face. He gazed into Cloud's sapphire eyes, which were now with intense panic.

"Does it matter," he said, taking away Cloud's briefcase. Abruptly, Leon pulled him close and kissed him. As Cloud protested, he held him tighter until he wasn't able to move.

_Why am I doing this to him?…A person I barely even know_, Leon thought. _Why is it so hard to me to…resist those eyes?. Cloud, what're you doing to me?. _

He kissed his cheek lightly before reaching his neck when Cloud pushed his head away.

"No," Cloud said. "This isn't right." Shut up," Leon said, beginning to kiss Cloud's neck. He felt like he was high on drugs the way Leon was kissing him, ecstatic and in a state of euphoria. To his surprise, he noticed that he had his arms locked around Leon's neck and a moan escaped before he could control himself.

"You like that, huh," Leon whispered into his ear. Then, he put his mouth to his in another intense and intoxicating kiss. Cloud shivered as they kissed. He felt his energy and willingness to fight leave him as the kiss deepened.

_Leon…_, he thought. _Is this real…or am I dreaming?_.

He felt a heavy pounding in his heart as Leon stepped back, mentally cursing the irregular beat of his heart. "Cloud…are you scared of me," Leon asked, holding Cloud's chin with his finger. "If you are, there's no need to be scared. It just felt right."

Cloud stared at him in the eye for a minute. _I think this is real…_, he said as he noticed the fire in his eyes. Leon saw the small fire in Cloud's eyes as he continued to stare at him.

"No…I'm not scared of you, Leon," he replied, slowly. I have to go. Sora's waiting for me." He retrieved his briefcase from the floor before leaving the room. As he headed to the living room, images of what happened flashed into his mind.

"Snap out of it, Cloud…," he told himself._ It was just a kiss_, he thought. _But a very nice kiss at that_, said a small voice in his head. _You like him. Admit it. You felt like you were on morphine or something, didn't you?._

_No, I just met him_, Cloud replied. _How could I like him?…Stupid conscience_.

_You like him, you want to hug him, you want to kiss him, you want to hold him_, his conscience sang. "Shut up," Cloud whispered angrily. "Stupid conscience. Why did God have to create these things?."

_It was just a kiss_, he thought. _But why did it… feel like more?. Morphine, huh?. That would describe it. Lips like morphine…damn it! Bad Cloud!. You're letting your conscience get the best of you_. He heard the sound of laughter as he walked into the living room. When he walked in, he saw a blue-eyed brunette with a digital camera slung across his neck in a small pouch.

When he looked up, he quickly took out the camera and took a picture of Cloud. "You're blushing! I thought I'd never see the day," Sora said. "Suddenly, I believe in miracles." "Yeah…hi," he said, used to his antics.

He stared at Sora for a minute, which made Sora stare at him in confusion. "Were you at the publishing office earlier or something? I've never really caught you dead in a suit lately," Cloud said.

"I was at a funeral earlier," Sora explained. " I managed to make a quick getaway in my bike when they were halfway through." "Who's funeral," he asked. "A family friend," Sora said. "Didn't really like him and besides, since my Dad wasn't there to force me to stay, I got all the snapshots I needed and it's pointless to stick around after the funeral."

"You shouldn't have done that," he said. "That's not a very good excuse to leave. At least honor the dead, Sora."

_Does he ever make a good excuse?_, he thought to himself. _Jesus, why did I have to have a childish editor like him? I wouldn't've minded a suicidal one_.

"Like I care about that prick," Sora said. "He used to literally scare the shit out of me when I was a kid. Oh yeah! Manuscript, please." "Manuscript," Riku said. Cloud slapped his hand to his forehead and sighed.

He didn't want anyone else, much less Riku, know about his job. "He's…my editor," he said, glaring at Sora. "You're a novelist," Riku said, surprised. "Since when?." "Since you got screwed and became a stripper," he said, still irritated.

"You're such a pervert, dude," he said, smirking. "You need someone in your life. That way you won't be so perverted." "I'm fine the way I am, thanks," Cloud countered. "Sora, let's go to my office. I don't want you to catch prick disease. If you get out now…I might give you a blueberry muffin."

"Okay," Sora said, jumping up. "It's true, y'know," Riku said, as Cloud walked out. When he was in the hallway, he was prepared for the questions Sora was about to ask him.

"Are Riku and Leon living with you," Sora asked. "For the moment, yes," Cloud said. "I've known Riku for a long time but Leon and I have…just met." I think Riku's cool but Leon seemed a bit, uh, angry a few minutes ago," he said.

"He has a night job so he sleeps during the day mostly," he lied as they entered an office. "Could you do me a favor, for the reminder of his stay that is, can you come during the night time now?."

"Well…all right," he said. "It must be rough for him." Not really; he's pretty tough," he said, as he switched on his computer. When he was logged on, he inserted a CD he took out of his briefcase.

In a few minutes, papers began to come out of the printer. "Take it," he said to Sora. "On time as usual for your deadlines, huh," Sora said, smiling. "You know it," he said, half-smiling back.

When Sora took the papers from the printer, there was a silence as he skimmed through them. "Hmm, very good…," he said. Then, he had an idea. "Hey Cloud, let's all go to the bar later on. That way I can get to know your roommates and you could get to know Leon, too."

"I'm…not so sure," Cloud said. "I could ask but…I really don't know." "You really think they'll say no?…oh, I get it," he said, in an accusing tone. "You don't want to hang out with me. Is that it?." "No…I'm just not in the mood to go," he said.

"Aww, come on! It'll be fun," he said, pouting. "I'll treat." He banged his head on his desk a few times. Oh God…, he thought. "Riku," Cloud shouted. They heard the sound of someone pounding the wall as Riku came in.

"You call," he said, noticing Sora sulking and pouting. _He looks sorta…cute_, Riku thought. _Almost like a little kid_. "We're going to a bar later on…you wanna come," Cloud said. "Sure," he said, shrugging. "A few drinks after yesterday's events wouldn't hurt."

Sora jumped up from his chair with a look of victory after Riku's comment. "Yes! Ha ha," he said, quickly stapling the papers in his hand. "I'll see you guys at nine in the Black Pearl!." He quickly ran out of the room.

"Oy…thank God," Cloud said, rubbing his head. "That kid is so loud." Riku just sat down and smirked. "Make sure to bring Leon, too," Sora said, poking his head through the doorway one last time. They heard pounding footsteps and the sound of a door slamming. Then, Leon suddenly stormed in.

"DON'T YOU GUYS KNOW THE CONCEPT OF KEEPING IT DOW--," he yelled. Cloud quickly put a hand over Leon's mouth. He pulled out a small packed from the desk drawer near his left side.

"They're called ear plugs," Cloud said. "Take it. Shut up. And go back to sleep so I can be in peace. When I get my hand off, don't shout, all right?." Leon took the packet and nodded. Cloud slowly removed his hand.

He stepped back as Leon opened the packet and took out an ear plug. "How do these things work," he asked. "Before that, Sora invited all of us to a bar and says he's treating," he said. "Are you in?."

"I guess," he said. Taking an ear plug, Cloud squished it between his fingers. Leon felt a slight tickling sensation as Cloud tried to jam it into his right ear. "You try," Cloud said. Riku felt like giving them privacy but stayed where he was.

Leon copied what Cloud did and put the ear plug in his other ear. Cloud took the liberty of making sure it was on correctly. "CAN YOU HEAR ME," Cloud shouted, causing Riku to put his hands to his ears.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY," Leon yelled. "Success," Riku said, holding up a victory sign. "Nice job there, genius." "I wear them when there's a certain annoying guest at my house when I have to write," Cloud said. "I have several more where that came from."

Leon quickly leaned over and gave Cloud a kiss before leaving the room. _Thanks_, Leon mentally told Cloud. _Uh…anytime_, he thought shyly. Cloud felt himself turn red all over again. "Oh, so _this_ is why you're blushing all of a sudden…," Riku said, smirking. "You're in love, aren't you?."

"I most certainly am not," Cloud replied, giving him a death glare. "Oh, so if he, obviously, likes you…and you like him, then that must mean," he continued. "You _both_ are in love."

"I am not," Cloud argued. "Now, if you can get the hell out of here so I can continue my story, then—what're you smiling about?." "I was wondering," Riku said. "Do you think Sora would give me a chance?."

"My editor! Oh my God," Cloud said, dramatically. "Little Riku-kun has a little crush, doesn't he? And he tells me _I'm_ sick." Cloud continued typing into his computer and caught a glimpse of Riku's 'I'll-sic-you-if-you-say-that-again' face.

"It's a thought," Riku said. "It's not like it'll happen anytime soon." "He's taken…Naminé told me he's been dating Kairi for quite some time now," he said.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to have my way with him," Riku said. "Sike. I'm not gonna ever get involved with a friend's boyfriend or girlfriend. Which has happened several times, mind you, only vice versa."

"I don't want to hear about your love life _or_ sexuality, all right," Cloud responded. "Just leave me alone before I sic you." "Speaking of, just what do you write about anyways," he asked.

"That's none of your business, okay," Cloud said. He moved in front of the computer monitor to prevent Riku from reading it. "Why don't you just ask your crush later on?."

"He's not my crush," Riku said. "I just feel like…we have a strange bond. Like, I knew him from somewhere. That's all." "Sounds like the lady doth protest too much," le said, shutting down his computer.

"If you don't shut up…I'll post those pictures of when you were drunk and wore your mom's wedding dress on the Internet in the MySpace account I have," Riku said. "Or should I take them to Sora so he can show them to your publishing company. You know, you look very girly if you wear a white dress and have a bow in your hair along with a bouquet of roses."

"Get out of my way, Riku," Cloud said, folding his arms. "You're blocking the doorway." "Oh am I," he said, innocently. "Yeah, you are," Cloud said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go skinny-dipping like I always do."

"Dude! You skinny dip," he said, shocked. "At _this_ time of year!." "I'm kidding, you retard," Cloud said, laughing. "Well, not in the outdoor pool anyway. I'm going out."

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did this chapter suck? you guys tell me. i got the chapter title from a song called "Lips Like Morphine" by Kill Hannah. the song is all right but…i think it—argh! nevermind!. by the way, i already gave away what'll happen in chapter 4 (Jesus! i'm such a retard!). i'll state it again anyways. please read and review!.

**In the next chapter**: Since Cloud, Riku, and Leon decided to go to the bar, they see something unexpected. Sora, upset and crying. what's up with that?. also, Riku and Leon find out more about Cloud's obscure profession as a novelist!. WTF!.


	4. The Black Pearl

hello!. Ari here. Man! it's getting so damn cold now!. by the way, sorry for the long wait!. i had to rewrite this whole chapter because of a computer glitch. today, I had to take my coat out of storage just to leave out of the house!. i've always wanted to write a gothic love story or manga so i'm making my wish come true!. I'm going to turn Vampire's Kiss into a manga but i HAVE to start my character sketches now or real soon. thing is, school's a bitch! i'm failing Geometry since i suck at math but I know I'm passing P.E., Guitar class, Art, Chemistry, and History. my grade for English (so far) is an A so yay me for passing most of my classes! (sound of loud rock & techno music and round of applause). party time!. anyways, here's chapter 4!.

Sora: Ari, are you having a party?

Ari: (dancing) Yeah! You wanna come? The readers and I would love it if you and the others came.

Riku: What for?

Ari: (still dancing) I'm finally getting good grades in school for the first time!

Cloud: You throwing a party because you're passing school?. That's moronic with a capital "m".

Ari: You know you wanna come, Cloud. We have mosh pits, dancing, Battle of the Bands, karaoke, candy, tree burning, video games, free food and drinks, fight tournaments, and lots of other things that involve fun and violence.

Cloud: Fight tournaments? Now you're speaking my lingo. Let's go.

Leon: (sighing) Cloud and I have to take care of all you young one.

Ari: Hey! I'm not a six year old!.

Leon: (sarcastically) Sure, you're not.

Riku: I'm in.

Sora: Me too!.

Roxas: (approaching them) Violence? Sounds cool.

Axel: (coming out of nowhere) A party? With free food and drinks? And tree burning? All right!.

Ari, Sora, Riku, Cloud, Leon, Roxas, and Axel leave to the party which is in an abandoned mansion.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

"We're here," Cloud said, parking the car. "It's been a while since I've set foot in the 'Black Pearl'," Riku said. "It wasn't too long ago," Cloud said, matter-of-factly. It feels good to have my car back, he thought. I wonder when I'm going to get the motorcycle I ordered.

Cloud stepped out of the car and into the cold night. "Jesus! It's cold!," Riku said as he stepped out of the drivers' side. "Ever thought about not leaving your jacket in the car?," Leon said, smirking. "Shut up, Leon," Riku said, getting his jacket from the back seat.

Leon took a glance at the 'Black Pearl'. It was a small place that seemed almost isolated from all of the other bars and restaurants in the area. It had an adventurous feel to the place and the sign showed off the pirate theme for the whole place.

"Nice place," Leon said. "Save the admiring for the inside," Cloud stated. "That's where you can gape at the place." Earlier, Cloud had changed into a pair of baggy jeans, a black Nine Inch Nails t-shirt, and a studded belt. He was wearing glasses for some reason. He left his coat unbuttoned.

Leon had on a black jacket that had silvery fur on the collar and red straps, a white shirt, and black jeans with the same red straps as well. He had gloves on and a hidden dagger just in case. Besides his long coat, Riku had on a tight black shirt, a white vest, and baggy black jeans.

"So, shall we?," Cloud said, taking the keys from Riku. "You're not bringing your laptop?," Leon asked. "Sora destroyed my other laptop last time when I brought it in," Cloud said. Riku laughed at him as they went in.

Cloud opened the door and they went inside. Leon looked around the restaurant as they went in. "Impressive," he said. The tables and chairs were crafted in a 17th-century style. The wall near them had a rope ladder close to the front entrance and an anchor was right beside it.

Dozens of pictures hung from cabin door window frames. In the front window of the place was a display that had an old treasure chest filled with coins, gold painted cups and crowns, and fake jewels. The bar had fish tanks that gave it a pirate ship look.

"Cloud," Riku said, pointing. "Look." "Huh?," Cloud said. He saw Sora sitting at the far side of the bar. He had a solemn look on his face as he spoke into his cell phone. "I have to talk to him for a minute," Cloud said. "Could you guys wait for a minute?."

"No problem," Leon said, sitting down in one of the nearest tables. As he walked over to Sora, Cloud had noticed that the 'Black Pearl' was nearly empty except for a few other people. _Of course it'll be almost empty_, he thought. _It's a Monday_. _Everyone hates Mondays_.

He sat next to Sora as he continued talking into the phone. "No, I'm all right," Sora said. "I'm sorry, Kai. We both agreed it was for the best. I'm at a bar right now waiting for Naminé's brother. Hey, can we still be friends?...oh, okay then. Just know, no matter what I'll still love you and you can count on me. See you when you come back. Bye."

After hanging up the phone, Sora put his head on his arms. Annoyed that Sora didn't see him, Cloud poked him several times before Sora looked up. "Oh, hey Cloud," he said, faking a smile. "Let me guess," Cloud said. "You broke up with Kairi."

"Yeah," he said, looking away. "I did. It's like she doesn't have time anymore. I know that she's studying abroad and everything but…I hoped that it would last despite that, y'know. I'm nothing but a hopeless loser."

"The hopeless loser you're talking about is my editor," Cloud said. "Hey, Jack! You here?." "He's off today," a voice shouted form the other side of the bar. "Will, I need you bring me a whiskey and Coke and a Bloody Mary," Cloud said. "On the rocks." "Be right with you, Cloud," Will replied.

"Now that I think about it, I wouldn't have time for her even is she came back to Japan," Sora said. "Exactly," Cloud said. "You're a kick-ass editor. I know if you had to, you'd beat all the other writers you work with to death if they miss their deadlines."

Sora started to smile as Cloud continued. "Kairi won't be the only girl in your life," Cloud said. "Somewhere in this city you'll meet someone else that will be as good as or better than she was. When you do, never let them go if you're sure you want to spend the rest of your life with them."

"Whiskey and Coke on the rocks," Will said from the other side. "Bloody Mary." He slid the drinks to where they were sitting and Cloud offered one to Sora. "Here," Cloud said. "I feel like getting wasted today. Wanna join in?." "Sure," Sora said, grabbing the drink.

Riku and Leon suddenly knew it was safe to go over when Cloud got the drinks. "Let's go," Riku said. They walked over to where they were sitting and sat down. "What's up?," Riku said, sitting down. "Not much," Sora said. "Just the sky."

"You look like you got hit by a train," Leon said. "I feel like it," Sora replied, drinking down all of his Coke. "Time for some Rand R," Riku said. "R and R?," Sora replied, confused.

"Restoration and reorganization of thoughts," he said. "That sounds fun," Sora said. "I'll order some drinks as a prescription," he said, waving to Will. "So Sora, exactly what does Cloud write about?," Leon asked. "Oh, you don't know?," Sora said. "I'll show you guys."

He was busily pulling something out of one of the many pockets of his cargo jeans. Riku just sat there, looking at him. He apparently looked a bit sad but was trying to make himself feel better. He wanted to be the one to make him feel better.

He had on a loose jacket to which the hood was stuck to a few spikes of his spiky hair. He had on black eyeliner and a tight camouflage shirt. The cargo jeans were black and a neon green that rivaled the vividness of his deep blue eyes.

"Hello there, Riku," Will said. "How was America?." "It was very nice and all but I decided to come back to Japan after awhile," Riku said. "I wanted to further my studies here." He ordered the drinks and Will left to prepare them.

"You're in college, too?," Sora said, surprised. "Yeah," Riku said. "I still am." "What're you going to major in?." "Nothing important, really," he said. "Just languages like Spanish, English, German, Russian, Italian, and Latin."

"Whoa…," he said, staring at him with widened eyes. "Are you planning to be a translator or something?." "Da," Riku said. "What does that mean?," Sora asked. "It means 'yes' in Russian," he said. "Oh," he said. "Oh! Here's the book. Sorry 'bout that."

He handed the book to Leon and his eyes widened in surprise. "'Blood and Fire' by Katsura Hino? Wait…you're Katsura Hino?," he said in a voice slightly softer than his normal voice. "Yeah," Cloud said. "I am. It's my nom de plume."

"Pen name?," Riku said, arching an eyebrow. "Have a problem, jackass?," he said. "Not at all," Riku replied. "Just a little surprised is all. I'm a fan of your works myself. I think it's just shocking to know that my best friend is the author of my favorite new series, The Immortal Blood series."

"Want an autograph?," Cloud said, sarcastically. He sensed that Leon wanted to have a serious talk with Cloud "Maybe later," Riku said. "So Sora? How does it feel like working with the jackass of the century?." "He's very prompt for starters and…," Sora began.

"You have to stop writing that series if you know what's good for you," Leon said. "Stop writing it? Why?," Cloud said. "It's just a book. There's nothing harmless about a piece of paper." "You seriously don't understand," Leon said.

_Wait…is it just me or does he seem a bit worried?_, Cloud thought. _This is so weird_. "Can you explain yourself?," Cloud said. "This is getting us nowhere." "That series is disrupting my community," he said. "They want to hurt you."

"All because of a stupid book series? That's just rich," he said. "You know what? I think you're right," Leon said. "What?," he said, off guard. "There really is nothing harmless about a book, right?," he said. "You could've written it by coincidence."

"Too true," Cloud said as Will approached then with a tray of drinks. _I think it's best that I don't involve him in the affairs of vampires_, Leon said. _It's bad enough that he believed we didn't exist. I hope he doesn't get caught up in my plans_.

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By the time all four of them had left the "Black Pearl", Cloud, Sora, and Riku were already drunk. "Let's drink again!," Sora said. "Yeah! Again!," Riku agreed. "Hell yeah!," Cloud said. "How about 'no'?," Leon said, with Cloud's arm around his neck.

"Aw! You're no fun!," Cloud said, lightly punching Leon's chest. "You're no fun! You're no fun!," Sora said in a sing-song voice. Ugh, why do humans have to resort to drinking frequently?, Leon thought, highly annoyed.

"When we arrive at Cloud's house, all right?," Leon said, controlling his voice. "Yay! Squally is the best!," Cloud said, hugging him. "Uh…Cloud?," Leon said, blushing a light pink. "Can I unlock the doors now?."

Cloud let him go and said, "I'll be going to the liquor shop now." "Hold it," Leon said. "I'm coming with you. I just need to make these two get in the car." After a few seconds, he managed to leave Sora and Riku in the car with the radio on.

Cloud and Leon were walking to the store when Cloud suddenly stopped him. "I feel kinda dizzy," he said. "Let's stop for a bit." "All right," Leon said. _At least I didn't pass my limit_, he thought.

Leon let Cloud lean against the side of a building for a minute. There was a long silence between then as Cloud rested. "Do you feel a bit better now?," Leon asked. "Now I do," Cloud said. "I'm having so much fun tonight. I just wish I had that much fun with my dad."

"Your dad?," Leon said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Yeah…he never liked the idea of me writing in the first place," he said. "We barely even talk now. I disappointed him when I decided to write instead of take over the family business. I hate doctors anyways."

"That was your choice, not his," Leon agreed. "If you didn't want to become a doctor then why does he even bother trying to convince you to take over the family business? How pointless." "Everything's pointless," Cloud said.

Then, Leon started to kiss him. Cloud didn't protest but began to run his fingers through his hair as he slipped his arms around his waist. _Mmm…lips like morphine_, he thought, drunkenly. He remembered trying morphine when he was in high school.

He didn't become addicted but he liked the feeling of euphoria he had gotten the time he used it. Then, Leon pulled back and said, "Let's go to the store." "Sure!," he said, excitedly. As they walked, Leon kept an arm around his small waist.

Meanwhile…

"Wow! I feel a whole lot better!," Sora exclaimed, happily. "Better?," Riku asked. "Yeah…I dumped my girlfriend, Kairi," he said, with a sad look in his eyes. "Cloud told me that I'd meet someone better someday. Maybe he's right."

"He always is," Riku said. A metal band was playing on the radio at the moment but Riku wasn't paying attention to that. Instead, he was paying attention to the brunette. He was different from the other people he had met before.

"Riku, are you all right?," Sora said, with a pout. _He looks so cute_, he thought. _Go get 'im_, said his drunken conscience. "Yeah…I am," he said. He leaned over to him, making Sora's back touch the window. His face was so near Sora's that he could feel his breath.

Then, he crushed his lips onto his in a heated and passionate kiss. It was like a maelstrom that Sora couldn't escape as Riku put his arms around his waist to trap him to that particular corner of the car. Moaning in pain and surprise, Sora tried to protest.

At the perfect chance, Riku intensified the kiss by slipping his tongue inside Sora's mouth. He thought he tasted of candies and sweet wine and never wanted to back away. When he pulled away, Sora was blushing madly.

"Whoa…," was all Sora could say. "I-I don't think--." "Then don't think," Riku whispered into his ear. "Besides, you're not seeing anybody." Riku kissed him again, this time Sora didn't fight. Riku began to move down to his neck.

"R-Riku, stop," he said. "P-P-Please." "What if I don't want to?," he said. He began to kiss his neck before leaving marks on his neck. Sora squeaked in pain as he continued. "F-Fine! If you're gonna be like that then--," he said. Riku made him shut up with a kiss.

After Riku pulled back, Sora had him pinned to the other side of the car. "Sora? What're you--," Riku said. Then, Sora began to lick his ear. Riku began to blush as he did so. "Ha ha! Got ya!," Sora whispered, biting his ear.

He started licking the other ear and made him blush even more. After Riku groaned, Sora began to move to his neck. "Surrender and you'll be liberated," he said, beginning to nip at his neck. "Go ahead…torture me all you want," Riku said. "I won't give up."

Then, they heard a knock on one of the doors of the car. "Hey!," Leon said. "Open the door!." Angrily, Riku opened the door. Sora looked at the mirror and was surprised at what he saw. He couldn't see Leon's reflection on the small mirror.

Rubbing his eyes, he noticed that Leon was now in the drivers' side of the car. _Must've imagined it…_, he thought. After Cloud fastened his seatbelt and put the bag of beer and wine on the floor, Leon drove off.

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see! told ya i would have some RikuxSora action in there!. you guys owe me fifty bucks! (extends a gloved hand). i'm just kidding . do you really think i'd back down from my word?. please, R & R!. oh yeah!...mushroom, pineapple, and black olive pizza is the best!. yum…i'm hungry (drools).


	5. The Morning After

yo!. sorry for the long wait!. unfortunately, i've been busy with school projects, homework, annoying family members, and such. i think i'm failing my classes but that's okay. after all, i have the rest of the year to atone for it right?. if this chapter sucks, then i apologize in advance. here's chapter 5! enjoy!

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_This feels so…nice_, Cloud thought as he slept. He shifted slightly to get more comfortable and warmer. After a few minutes, he slowly opened his aching eyes. The first thing he saw was Leon's face close to his.

He noticed that Leon had him in an embrace and was fast asleep. After a minute, he slowly remembered why he was there in the first place despite the fact he felt groggy. He had gotten sick and vomited, which was very rare for him, especially when he was drunk.

He had fainted in the bathroom and began to assume that Leon and Riku took him back to his room. There was also a chance Leon carried him back by himself.

_Leon…why do you even bother with me?_, Cloud thought. _I thought you hated me for writing under the name Katsura Hino. Even now…I see you don't_. Then, he winced as he felt a huge flash of pain in his head. _It must be a hangover_, he thought.

The pain started to get worse, causing him to put his hands to his head and groan in pain. As he started writhing in pain, Leon woke with a start. _Shit!_, Leon thought, studying Cloud's mind. _That asshole found him!_.

Cloud began to scream and tears came out of his eyes while Leon felt helpless as he screamed. Leon sat up and swung his legs over to the edge while letting Cloud sit on his lap.

Cloud felt like his mind was being raped. _I found you, 'Katsura'…_, said a voice in his head. _Who are you? Get out of my head!_, Cloud mentally screamed. He felt all his memories and secrets slip away from him for a minute as if he was being dissected.

"Cloud? Cloud!," Leon said to him. "Try to block him out of your head! Don't let him get the best of you!." _So innocent…I'm afraid you have to die_, it said. _You know too much about me_. Gradually, the pain began to fade away.

Then, Cloud saw the image of a man with long, silver hair falling from the sky with a single broken wing on his back. He stopped shaking when he realized what everything meant.

"Sephiroth? He's real…isn't he?," Cloud said, angrily standing up. "Well! Isn't he?!." "I'm afraid so," Leon said, his voice trailing off. "Why? Why didn't you say anything?!," he said. "I chose not to tell you," he said. "Besides, you wouldn't've believed my anyway…no matter what I say."

"Damn right! Until now!," he shouted. He walked over to an armchair in the corner, collapsing onto it. Leon looked at him with regret and helplessness. He looked fragile now, underneath it all. Small, fragile, and helpless.

Then, a huge flame-like emotion began to sear through his body. Sweet, explosive anger and hatred swept through him like a forest catching fire. He despised Sephiroth even more as he continued to look at Cloud's pale figure as he brought his knees to his chest, like a frightened child.

It was as if Cloud was having one of his enlightenment moments, only more disturbing. Flashes of images were going through his head. One was of Leon, only much younger and in a huge room, playing a piano. A woman whose face eh couldn't see accompanied him as he played.

Another set of images appeared and then he realized something. "He was the one that bit you…Sephiroth, made you an undead," Cloud said, shakily. "Yes, he did," Leon said, with an almost sad expression.

"No…," he said, shaking more as he saw other images. "Get…them out. Get them out of my head!." He saw disturbing images of his death, his sister being tortured by some group of people, and Riku fighting to the death. Leon abruptly rose from the bed and strode over to him quickly.

"Cloud, you have got to control yourself," Leon said. "You're just doing what Sephiroth wants!. He wants you to suffer. Control yourself…it's not real." "I c-can't! I-It…hurts!," Cloud sobbed. "I-I c-c-can't move!."

Leon saw tears streaming down his face as he tried to move. Silently, Leon took Cloud in his arms and carried him to the bed. He put his hands on Cloud's face and his back. Wiping a tear away from his cheek, he leaned in to kiss him.

Cloud was still unable to move and just closed his eyes as he kissed him. He felt his strength slowly return to him. All the pain he felt was leaving his body as Leon intensified the kiss. As soon as Leon backed away, his strength was fully returned but he had the effects of a normal hangover still.

"I apologize," he said. "Only a vampire's kiss can fix any damage or injury make by a vampire clan leader or master." Cloud remained silent as he let his feet touch the ground and he wrapped his arms around himself.

"Thank you…," Cloud said to him, morosely. The, he felt the sudden urge to kiss Leon. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to hold him. Cloud grew surprised at his feelings as he continued to organize his thoughts.

_Why…do I feel like this?_, Cloud thought. _Aeris…made me feel like this back then but…why is it happening now?_. Cloud gave in to his urges and put his head on Leon's shoulder, surprising him.

"Can you…stay with me for a bit?," Cloud asked, quietly. "Hm?," Leon said. "I…really don't fell like being alone right now," he said. They were silent for a long time. "Hey," Leon said after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"Do you remember what happened last night while you were drunk?. It was quite surprising to see you so, uh, loose." "I don't remember…what did I do?," Cloud said. "When we all came back here, we played a few rounds of strip poker," he started. "

Strip poker?!," he exclaimed, noticing he had on nothing but pajama pants. Leon began to laugh at the surprised look on his face and said, "You have nothing to worry about since you didn't get naked but…"

"But what?," Cloud asked, curiously. "Riku cheated on one round and had to take off all his clothes," Leon said to him. It was Cloud's turn to laugh. "That idiot is so hilarious at times," Cloud laughed. "I hope you're ready for the rest," he said. "It gets weirder."

"What do you mean 'weirder'?," Cloud asked. "The next game you guys played was Truth or Dare," Leon said. "What?! That's such a girly game," he said. " Uh…yeah," Leon said. "Well, Sora put on a hula dancing outfit and did the hula and--."

He was interrupted by Cloud's laughter and continued. "Riku put on a kilt and tap danced," Leon said. "Afterwards, you guys ended up streaking the neighborhood and singing karaoke." Cloud raised his head and was disturbed. "I think I'm feeling a bit disturbed right now," he said.

"There is one more thing," he said, turning away so Cloud wouldn't see him blush. "You see…one of the dares….required us both to…go…skinny-dipping." "Oh shit," he said, embarrassed and blushing. "I'm so sorry."

He lied down on his side on his bed, with his hands on his face. _I'm such a dumbass! Bad Cloud! Bad!_, he scolded. Leon took hold of Cloud's wrists and pinned his arms to his sides.

"I don't think you're a dumbass," he said, with a devilish smile. "You judge yourself too harshly." "Cloud was blushing a shade of crimson now. Leon still had his lips formed in a devilish smile as he leaned forward and started to kiss Cloud passionately.

As the kiss grew intense, Leon put his arms around Cloud's small waist. Cloud pulled him down until he was also lying down; welcoming the state of euphoria he was in.

He now began to kiss Leon's neck, causing him to blush slightly. _No one…has ever made me feel this way for a long time_, Leon thought. He shivered as Cloud began to leave marks on his neck. Then, Cloud let him go when a feeling of uneasiness struck.

"I think we should stop," he said, avoiding his eyes. "Cloud?...do you think this is wrong?," Leon asked, laying a hand on Cloud's face. He said nothing and tried to turn away again.

"Are you afraid of something?," he asked. "I…," Cloud said. "I just have an uneasy feeling." "There's nothing to be afraid of," Leon said. "Let me show you."

Leon kissed him again, one of his hands lazily caressing his back. The euphoric state he had a while ago had resurfaced with a passion. He liked the way Leon held him, how he kissed him, how he…cared.

He felt Leon leaving marks on his neck now. "L-Leon, y-y-your fangs…," Cloud said, closing his eyes in fear. _I can make them come out when I want to_, Leon said. _Don't be afraid_. Then, he realized something. _Oh, you're ticklish, huh?_, he teased. "T-That's not funny!," Cloud said, blushing even more. Leon shut him up with a kiss.

Cloud was now fast asleep beside him. Leon brushed loose locks of hair away from his eyes. _Why is he so scared?_, he thought. _I can't help myself every time I see him. I really want to know what disturbs him. It seems…like I used to know him from somewhere. Then again, I barely remember the years when I was a mortal_.

Then, he had an idea. _Aerith…can you hear me?_, he said, tapping into a thread of energy within him. _Leon? Is that you?_, said a female voice. _Listen, are you available right now? I need someone to See into someone's soul_, he said.

_Of course, dear_, she said. _I'm bringing Yuffie with me if it's all right_. _Do as you wish_, he said. _Want to see where you're heading over to?_. _Oh, there's no need for that, Leon dear_, Aerith said. Then, a puff of smoke appeared.

"I'm here as you requested," said a brown haired woman. Aerith wore a long pink dress with black boots. Her hair was tied back with a ribbon but two bangs that formed curls hung loosely in front of her face. "Hiya Leon!," said a cheerful voice.

"Yuffie, can't you call me 'Master Leon' like almost all the other vampires," he sighed. He took a look at his inferior. She wore the headband of a ninja to hold her short hair back and had on blue jeans, combat boots, and a black sweater on.

Yuffie gave him a pleading look, making him almost gag. "Just keep it formal when others are around all right?," he said. "Yay!," she squealed. "Shh! He's sleeping," Aerith said, looking and pointing at Cloud. "Is he a vampire as well?."

He was curled up deep into his bed covers. "No, he's a mortal," Leon said. "Are you sure? He has a high level of mysterious energy in his aura," Aerith insisted. "I'm sure," he said. Then, he felt Aerith tapping into his mind. "Dear, you seem very tired," she said with worry. "Maybe we should save this meeting for later."

_You can't save it for later_, said a voice in her head. _It has to be now…after all, he has a gig to get to in the night time_. Excitedly and as if she had expected him all along, Aerith glided over to the door, her long dress swirling as she did so.

"Riku, honey, how are you?," she said, hugging him. "Did we disturb you?." "I heard your voices as I was on my way back to my room from the bathroom," Riku said, tiredly. "Did you bring me what you promised me from Ireland?," she asked.

"Yeah and something even better," he said, smiling as he led out a wooden box. "Close the door!," Leon and Yuffie yelled at the same time. Riku quietly close the door. "Jesus! This mansion is so damn bright during the day!," Leon growled.

"Well, I'll take a look at this later," Aerith said, handing the box to Yuffie. "His name is Cloud Strife, he's twenty-three, and he's a novelist specializing in fantasy, horror, and fiction stories," Riku said. "He--."

"You don't have to give me all that background information, dear," she replied, smiling. "I know he's Katsura Hino. I'm a fan of some of his works, I admit." "Show off," Riku teased. "Here, I'll get out of your way. My energy levels will disrupt your focus into his soul."

"No it won't," she said. "Besides, you know him better than any of us inside this room. I need some energy medium to tap into in case I get weak so will you help me?." "It depends on to what extent," Riku said, putting a hand to his head.

"I'm pretty knocked up right now." "Thank you, Riku," she said. They all grew silent as Aerith closed her eyes and sat on the armchair. After she called on some of her energy, she pushed into Cloud's being until she found what she had been asked for.

"Okay…he's had a life that has seen a lot of suffering," she began. "Many people tend to judge him too harshly which in turn has affected him. Things such as teasing from his childhood years and a lot of scorn…from a parental figure."

"That would be his father," Riku said. "It's a bit of an understatement if I say that Cloud's dad wasn't much of a father to him. When he refused to take over his father's family business for writing, he disowned him and started saying he had no son which is why he changed his last name to his mother's maiden last name after she divorced him.

"Sounds like a complete bastard," Leon said. "He is," Riku scoffed. "I've known him all my life after all." "You can continue, Aerith," Leon told her.

"He is very serious and intriguing man," Aerith said. "He has high hopes and had a very strong character he has yet to control. I sense…a feeling of bondage. A bondage that is tying him down…causing his thought to become disoriented."

Then, Aerith opened her eyes as she gasped. "Aerith! What is it?," Yuffie exclaimed, stepping close to her. "He's still deeply connected to someone from a past life. I feel a bad presence coming from the person he is connected to," she replied.

"Past life? Are you sure?," Leon asked. "Yes, this caught me off guard, I'm afraid," she said, offering a weak smile. Then, Leon put two and two together as he realized something.

"That must mean Cloud is connected to Sephiroth through a past life he's had," Leon said. "Can you try to find out what you can?." "I can try," she said. "Your efforts won't go unrewarded," he promised.

"What is this sudden interest with past lives, Leon?," Riku asked, yawning. "Did it have something to do with that massive amount of energy I detected earlier?." "I'll tell you about it in a few days," Leon said. "I'm not entirely sure about everything that went on here so I have to investigate."

"Jeez, kick my out of the house, why don't ya," Riku said, tossing a bag over to Yuffie. "Later." He left the room. Yuffie opened the bag to find a pair of elbow length fingerless gloves.

Excitedly, she mentally contacted Riku._ Ooh! Thank you so much!_, she squealed. _How did you know I've always wanted these?_.

_Take it as payment for your services_, Riku said. _I want you to be a bodyguard for Aerith. Things have gotten pretty messy in the vampire and psychic communities. Not to mention it took me days to find them, especially in a place such as Ireland. Dragon scale leather nowadays is so rare to find but it at least lasts for a few centuries_.

_Okay! Don't worry, Riku!_, she said. _You won't regret it!_. _Leon had better guard Cloud well_, Riku thought in his head as he broke contact with her. _I sense something bad is about to happen later on…_ Yuffie examined her new gloves as Leon and Aerith quietly spoke. She knew Leon had been eavesdropping on them.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sora slowly opened his eyes as a stream of sunlight was directly on his face. _Man…my head hurts_, he thought. _What? A bed?_. He felt himself lying down on a soft bed. _What happened? Am I in Cloud's house?_, he thought. _It sure looks like it_.

He turned his head slightly to look around. Then, he noticed a hand on his waist. He turned to see a sleeping Riku curled up close to him. _Riku?! Am I in his room?!_, Sora panicked. Sora carefully removed his hand, trying to reach for the alarm clock.

Then, his eyes widened as he looked at the time. _Eleven-thirty! Shit!_, he thought. _I have—wait a minute! I'm off today, aren't I?_. As he tried to put the alarm clock back where it was he felt himself slipping off the bed.

"WAH!," he exclaimed, as he hit the ground. Startled, Riku quickly woke up to find Sora on the verge of tears as he rubbed the part of his head where the alarm clock had hit him.

"Sora? What're you doing in my room?," Riku asked, confused. Sora felt something sharp where the alarm clock had hit him. "WAAAH! GET IT OUT!," Sora yelled, crying. Chuckling, Riku got out of bed to examine Sora's head.

"It's just a small cut," he assured. "I knew hiding that thing under my alarm wouldn't help." Sora was still in tears as Riku took out what looked like a ninja star and put a bandage on his forehead.

"Evil!," he said, grabbing it and flinging it across the room. It hit the middle of the door exactly. _He has good aim_, Riku thought amused. _Don't forget that he's cute_, said a voice in his head. _Uh, who the hell are you?_, Riku said to it.

_You don't even recognize your own conscience? How rude!_, it said. _As I was saying, don't you think he's the least bit cute?_. _What's your point?_, he asked. _C'mon, you liike him, you want to huug him, you want to kiiss him, you want to--_, it teased.

_Alright already! I get the stupid point!_, Riku yelled. _Just because I think he's cute doesn't entitle me to do all those things right away!_.

While Riku had an argument with his conscience, Sora started to see if he could remember what happened the other night. After a minute, the blur was clearing in his memories.

_We got out of the Black Pearl and…Riku and I…made out?_, Sora thought beginning to blush. _Then, we played…strip poker?!_. Everything else hit him like a tidal wave destroying a town. His blush turned from a light pink to a deep maroon.

"Are you all right?," Riku asked, noticing the way he blushed. "Riku…do you remember what…happened last night?," he asked, shyly. "Uh, well…," he said. After a minute of trying to remember, he took a glance at Sora's mind and saw everything. His face showed that he felt like jumping off the Seto Bridge or the mansion's rooftop at least.

_What he hell did I do?! That's what I get for letting Kairi get to me!_, he thought. _Jesus, he probably thinks I'm retarded!_. _Jesus, he probably thinks I'm a perverted idiot!_, Riku thought.

"Let's just….make sure history doesn't repeat itself, all right?," He said, forcing himself to smile. "I guess we really were out of control yesterday. Sorry about that."

"I should be sorry," Sora blurted out. "I was all depressed and everything since Kairi and I broke up and I got drunk. I made things worse by going along with everything." "Let's kiss and make up then," Riku said. Then, he had Sora in his arms and began to kiss him. Sora's eyes widened in surprise and let out a squeak as he intensified the kiss.

He was still blushing as Riku slowly pulled away. _He kissed me again! Even worse, he's a guy!_, he panicked. "Why so nervous?," he asked, smirking. "I, uh…I don't think--," Sora began. "Yeah, just don't think," Riku said.

Riku gently shoved Sora so that his back was flat against the side of the bed. He leaned in closer as he crushed his lips against Sora's in another deep kiss. Panicking, Sora tried to push him away to no avail. Riku's arms slid against his waist to prevent his escape. He surrendered shortly when Riku began to caress the back of his neck.

Riku continued with the kiss. It was his taste that compelled him to go on. The taste of sweet candies and faint trace of the wines that they had drank last night. When Riku began his venture to Sora's neck, he took it as a chance to try to convince him to stop.

"Riku…please, stop," Sora said, wincing. "It's not as if it happened before," he replied. Sadistically amused, Riku left marks on his neck. Sora surrendered seeing that there was no use trying to fight. To his surprise, he started to like the way Riku was kissing him.

_You want him_, said a voice in his head. _Do not!_, Sora protested. _Heh, just one kiss turns you into jelly_, it teased. _It only takes one bite…and you're begging on your knees for more_. _But I don't like guys!_, he argued.

_There's a first time for everything_, his conscience said. Suddenly, he heard his cell phone ring loudly. Riku immediately pulled away from him as if he was waking up from a dream. Hesitantly, Sora took the phone out of his pocket and picked up.

"Hello?," Sora said, nervously. "Oh, hey Roxas!. What's up?." "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!," yelled a loud voice on the receiver. "Cloud's house…Y-Yeah…No! I can explain!. I'll tell you when you get here! Just leave my things out of this!. Okay. See ya." Sora hung up the phone and muttered something about beheading Roxas' plush toy collection and killing him.

"Sora, is something bothering you?," he asked. Sora turned to face him. He seemed tired but was both confused and concerned. _See, how could you not want someone as sexy as him?_, the voice insisted. _I thought the little voice in my head was supposed to help me_, he said, beginning to ignore it.

"I-I'm sorry! I- h-h-have to go!," Sora said, jumping to his feet. As Sora looked frantically for his things, Riku slowly stood up. As Sora was about to run out of the room while putting his jacket on, he said, "Wait."

"Yes?," Sora said, turning around. Riku gave him a light kiss on the lips before saying, "See you around." Sora immediately dashed out, embarrassed. He headed towards the living room and found his skateboard close a pile of pillows. After grabbing it, he tugged on his shoes at the front entrance.

When he arrived at the gate, he saw a dark blue car pull up. _Why is Roxas so ticked off?_, Sora wondered as he got into the car. "Hey bro," Sora said, looking at him as he got into the passenger seat.

Roxas, his brother, looked exactly like him except for his blonde hair and his paler skin tone. He wore blue jeans and a long black coat with a pair of black hi-tops. His hair, just like Sora's was very spiky.

"Before I even get started, what's with the bandage?," he asked, pointing to his forehead. "Long story," Sora said. "We have time," he said, turning off the car. "I fell out of one of Cloud's guest beds after taking a look at an alarm clock," he said.

"Turns out, there was a ninja star hidden underneath it." "Idiot!," he said, laughing. "Are you done?," Sora pouted. "How'd you end us crashing here for the night?," he said, clearing his throat. "I got drunk after Kairi and I broke up," Sora said.

"You and Kairi broke up?," Roxas said, surprised. "Yeah," he said. "I got drunk and Cloud let me stay here for the night." "Did you do anything stupid while you were in that state?," he asked. "No," Sora said, quickly.

"Sure you didn't," Roxas said, sarcastically. "Do you really have to ask?," he said. "Mom stopped by last night and I had to cover for you so I have that right to know," Roxas replied. "Plus, it took all of my persuasion skills to convince Mom not to grab you in a head lock the next time you do this."

"Why God, why?!...I'll tell you but you asked for it," he sighed. "While I was drunk I played a few rounds of strip poker, played Truth or Dare and--." "What are you? A girl?!," he asked, laughing. "We sang some karaoke," Sora twitched as he finished.

"Did you do any dares, 'princess'?," he said, cracking up. "Shut up, Roxas!," Sora said. "C'mon, tell me! What'd you do?," he said, clearing his throat. "I…did the hula…while dressed up as a…hula dancer," Sora said, sinking in his seat.

Roxas was on the verge of tears the way he was laughing and smacking the steering wheel. "And I thought I did stupid things when Hikaru dumped me back in high school," he said.

"There's one…more thing," he said, tentatively. "You aren't getting anymore from me, though." Then Roxas gave him his best you-better-tell-me-or-your-stuffed-animals-are-going-down face. "I…uh, made out…with his roommate…more than once," he said, mortified.

"Guy or girl?," Roxas asked. "…Guy…," Sora replied, quietly. "WHAT?!," Roxas yelled. "Sora, as soon as we get home you are DEAD! You better tell me how many drink you had to get that fucked up right _now_!."

"You think I liked what I did last night?," he said. "I had more than five different variations of _all_ the drinks in the Black Pearl! Happy?!." Those words sparked an argument as Roxas turned on the car and headed to their apartment.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

yay!. me finished!. anyways, my school has a 4 day weekend seeing it's Election Day on Tuesday and all. so far, my weekend sucks!. i think i'm getting writers' block again. i really should take a break from this. my mom gave me a lecture the other day on why i should do my best in school. i barely remember some of the things she said. Anyways, please review!. The first 10 people get a box of chocolates along with a Sora plush toy. it even has it's own cell phone and skateboard! (starts playing with the plush toy's hair). see ya!.


	6. Author's Note!

(Ari walks in, disheveled and sleep-deprived) I'm sorry for not writing for a long time but I can't write until June since I am in my junior year of high school

(_Ari walks in, disheveled and sleep-deprived_) I'm sorry for not writing for a long time but I can't write until June since I am in my junior year of high school. I'm reeeeeeally sorry for inconvenience but school's a bitch. Especially when it comes to Chemistry AND whiny English teachers. But if you'd like to send any ideas to me that I can fit in since the next chapter is almost done, by all means!(_Ari suddenly begins to have a weird look on her face_) BUT I WILL BY ALL MEANS APOLOGIZE TO THE WHOLE WORLD! I AM SORRY FOR HAVING TO ATTEND SCHOOL AND FOR MY INCOMPETENCE! I ALSO SHOULD HAVE PUT UP THIS WARNING A LONG TIME AGO! I AM A BAD WRITER AND PERSON! I AM SO SORRY!! Ha ha, I just love Ritsu from Fruits Basket :P


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